Futsal is a fast-paced sport that allows players to develop their soccer skills. Pictured are Kilmore and Drumsnat Monaghan players at last year’s national blitz.

Futsal fever spreading across Cavan and Monaghan

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by Róisin McManus

Futsal, the South American football phenomenon, has sparked a massive interest amongst young children across Cavan and Monaghan. On Sunday, April 12, a big tournament in Clones with multiple pop-up pitches will bring together more than 250 children for a festival of football. Organisers and participants hope that the offshoot will ultimately become a “mainstay of Autumn and Winter football”.

The blitz at the Peacelink in Clones is organised by ‘3v3 Ireland’ in collaboration with the Sean McCaffrey Foundation and the Cavan Monaghan Underage League (CMUL) for kids under the age of 10. It represents the final event of this year’s indoor futsal season, which ran from September until April for children who wanted to improve their soccer skills while seeking shelter from ongoing bad weather.

Futsal, which is translated from the Spanish for indoor football (fútbol sala), is normally played as a five-a-side game in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Out of the 17 CMUL clubs, 14 entered teams into the futsal league.

Games of eight to ten minutes ran Friday evenings across five venues: Mullahoran, Largy College, the Craig Lynch Centre in Shercock, Tyholland Community Centre and Kingscourt Community Hall. Where possible, teams play games in venues within 20 minutes drive.

Shane Coyle, coordinator for the six to 10 year olds, reflects on the success of the pilot scheme, confirming “it has gone really well”.

“We started off with one hall in Clones. Now we’re up to five and there’s over 350 kids, both boys and girls,” he reports.

This sentiment is shared by Ben Wynne, founder of Cavan Celtic based in Cavan Town, who agrees there is “plenty of interest” in futsal in the club.

“The kids are loving it, they’re really enjoying getting out and playing matches before they start the summer season,” he tells the Celt, while acknowledging that accessing venues is probably the “biggest problem” the league faces.

Martin McCormilla, committee member of Monaghan United and the CMUL, says that the idea for the futsal league came off the back of discussions on how to give children more access to football. He is hopeful that the futsal programme will eventually develop.

“We would like to see it become a mainstay of autumn and winter football,” he says. “Kids are extremely busy between school, gaelic games, multiple sports throughout summer but there is very much a market for the futsal programme to become a regular thing.”

Martin says that the uniqueness of futsal in Cavan and Monaghan can mean there may be a slow buy-in to the sport but that kids participating in futsal have seen its merits: “They’re building their own identity within their community,” he adds.

League coordinator Shane is sure that there are lots of clubs eager for kids to take part in the league, and given the skills-based nature of the game, believes there is real potential for it to grow further.

“The ball is a wee bit heavier,” Shane says of the difference in futsal from soccer.

“The kids get more touches on the ball, you have to work the ball a wee bit more.

John Lennon, a coach for Breffni Fermanay F.C. in Belturbet, says that futsal helps develop young players’ skills and confidence.

“Small-sided games are a huge benefit to kids of that age,” he explains. “When you have too many players, it inevitably ends up in all the kids chasing each other around.”

More space and time on the ball helps them develop decision-making and awareness.

Organisers of the pop-up pitch event in Clones say the aim of the day is to give kids more playing time to develop their skills. They are also hopeful it will encourage more girls to take part in futsal.

According to Martin McCormilla, out of the 14 clubs taking part in the league, five of them, including Monaghan United, have girls’ teams.

“You’re looking at a little bit below 50% but it is growing and it will grow even further the more that we get the word out there that this is a sport that is as good for girls to take part in as it is for boys,” he says.

So far, there are around 250 children signed up to participate in the 3v3 Ireland event taking place on the last Sunday of the Easter break - the festival of futsal.

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